USA Network’s newest reality series She’s The Boss is showing what both family and entrepreneurship look like in 2021. Nicole Walters is changing the landscape of everything viewers are used to seeing. The former corporate executive famously quit her six-figure salary-paying gig in corporate America in front of 100,000 people live online. From there, she embarked on a lucrative career as a motivational speaker, marketing strategist and financial guru to help others obtain a new sense of freedom. Her unconventional lifestyle is inspiring to say the least, and her taking the first step of becoming her own boss came out of frustration of working a gig that provided minimal advancement and a poor work-life balance. “I’d been working in corporate forever and I think this is the most relatable thing is that I was at a place where someone was either going to have to die or leave before I’m gonna get a raise,” she told Shadow and Act when talking about making the switch. “I got tired of having my life dictated for me and I said, ‘What can I do to change things so that I’m making my own choices?’” It’s a trend she’s seeing with many millennials. Though there are challenges, she encourages her clients and followers to follow their purpose but take the proper precautions along the way. “The biggest challenge that I see from my new clients is that they’d skipped a lot of steps - we’re the first generation growing up in the world of influencers, creating your own YouTube show and just this whole new branch of being able to cut through a lot of red tape,” Walters explained. “People aren’t going through traditional methods anymore, but what’s happening is that people are skipping a lot of steps in building businesses...I’m showing [my clients] why it’s important for them to have an LLC, and how to set up your business bank account and your finances, and what it means to set up your business so that it’s on the path to being debt-free.” Like many, Walters is a successful career woman and she does it all while balancing life as a wife and mother of three. But her family unit is considered unconventional to some. In addition to being in a biracial marriage, her three daughters are a product of adoption. “We met a panhandler on the side of the street and she told me that she had daughters that needed support...I picked up her daughters for mentorship and started helping them with school. They referred to me as Ms. Nicole…[my role] was very similar to the nature of the Black community, which is it takes a village,” she told us. Within 30 days of meeting the girls, their mother received a prison sentence. The Walters stepped up to ensure the sisters would not be separated and that their lives wouldn’t be disrupted and began the process of adoption. It paid off and the girls are thriving, with the eldest daughter in college. Walters' husband Josh is a stay-at-home dad and lawyer who works from home and their system works for them. “In our household, I’m the gas and he’s the breaks," Walters explained. "If I’m like, ‘Hey, let’s go,’ he’s like, ‘Let’s slow down and keep balance. We’re both in charge, we just know what our gifts are...he’s the primary parent and handles the day-to-day stuff but I come in with the fun, with the ideas, with the plan, with the ad-hoc, with the structure and then he just implements.” Despite their happy life, there can be hurdles along the way, as such is the case with most adoptees. Through open communication, the bonds they share as a family remain intact. They also still have a relationship with the girls’ biological mother, which Walters is thankful for. Another great addition to the Walters family is Walters assistant and manny, Eddie. he started out as an intern and now practically lives with them, providing a good laugh and headache all at the same time. “Eddie’s fun, he’s the energy whenever I’m not home,” she said. “Everyone else in my home is introverted and quiet. If I’m not around, everyone will find a little pocket and start reading a book. Eddie keeps some of that high energy in the house.” Check out the full interview of Walters discussing her immigrant background, her unique adoption process, her adoration of her husband’s bond with their daughter, how she met Eddie, hopes for the show and more:

She’s The Boss airs every Thursday on USA Network at 10:30 p.m. ET.

nicole walters